How To Write An Accident Prevention Policy

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3 Foreword All Community political actions include a social and economic component to mark the Community's concern to improve working conditions and the health and safety of workers. Economic and social progress must go hand-inhand. For the past thirty years the Commission's policy on health and safety in the workplace has aimed to reduce accidents at work and occupational diseases to a minimum. This Community action on health and safety at work has its legal basis in Article 137 (ex Article 118a) of the Treaty establishing the European Community. The Council has adopted about fifteen Directives, almost all of which have already been transposed into national law by the Member States. However, for the Commission, the preparation of a large body of legislation and its transposition into national law in the Member States are the means and not the end. The ultimate aim is to reduce accidents at work and occupational diseases. It is to prevent the suffering of workers and their families, the problems relating to the quality of work, the social rehabilitation and the economic impact of all this - which has repercussions on society as a whole -. For this reason, to monitor the effectiveness of existing legislative and non-legislative measures, the Framework Directive requires enterprises to keep a list of occupational accidents resulting in a worker being unfit for work for more than three days. In 1990 work began at European level to harmonise the criteria and the methodologies used to record data on accidents at work. As a result of this comprehensive work carried out together with the Member States, this publication is the final methodology of the European Statistics of Accidents at Work, including the harmonised tools to analyse the causes and circumstances of accidents at work (data collection, classifications, codification rules). The results will permit better monitoring of the application of the Directives and, where necessary, the reshaping of these Directives to meet new requirements and the introduction of new policies at Community level. This publication is addressed primarily to the national institutions responsible for recording and processing information on accidents at work, e.g. the statistical offices, insurance companies and mutual societies, and departments for the prevention of accidents and occupational diseases. More widely, it will be useful to technicians and experts working in the field and to businesses. DG Employment and social affairs Eurostat J.R. Biosca De Sagastuy M. Skaliotis Head of Unit D-5 Head of Unit E-3 Health, safety and Education, health and hygiene at work other social fields 3

4 Preface Work on the project to harmonise European Statistics on Accidents at Work (ESAW) began in 1990 and is coordinated jointly by Unit E3 of Eurostat and Unit D/5 of the Directorate-General for Employment and Social Affairs (DG EMPL) in order to draw up a methodology for the collection of comparable data in the European Union. The purpose of this work is to harmonise the criteria and methodologies to be applied when recording data on accidents at work. These have been developed in different stages in order to improve the techniques for monitoring the application of measures taken under Article 137 (ex Article 118a) of the Treaty with a view to encouraging improvements in the working environment and protecting the safety and health of workers. The Framework Directive 89/391/EEC( 1 ) on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work did in fact introduce, in Article 9, paragraphs c) and d), the obligation for employers to keep a list of occupational accidents resulting in a worker being unfit for work for more than three days, and, in accordance with national laws and/or practices, to draw up reports on occupational accidents suffered by their workers. In the same context, it should also be stressed that the Council, in its Resolutions of 21 December 1987( 2 ) and 27 March 1995( 3 ), specifically asked the Commission to submit proposals for harmonising statistics on accidents at work, and then called upon the Commission to endeavour to complete the work in progress in this field. The programme for safety, hygiene and health protection at work ( ) also provides for the continued implementation of the ESAW project. This project does, finally, form an integral part of the framework programme for priority actions in the field of statistical information ( 4 ). Similarly, the Council Decision of 22 December 1998 on the Community statistical programme ( 5 ), which defines the main fields and objectives of European Community statistics, makes provision for compiling consistent series of data at European level in order to monitor health and safety at work and the effectiveness of regulations in this field. Phases I and II of the ESAW project have been running since 1993( 6 ) and 1996( 6 ) respectively. They have been developed since 1990 by Commission (DG EMPL and EUROSTAT) together with the Member States. The ESAW Working Group was established in order to follow the work and give recommendations to the European Commission in developing this field of statistics. A Task Force with national experts has also been established in order to give technical advice in developing a methodology which takes into account - as far as possible -, the extant reporting procedures and methodologies in the various Member States. The Phase I covers variables which seek to identify the economic activity of the employer, the occupation, age and sex of the victim, the nature of the injury and the part of the body injured, as well as the geographical location, date and time of the accident, whilst Phase II supplements these initial data with information on the size of the enterprise, the victim's nationality and employment status, as well as the consequences of the accident in terms of the number of days lost, permanent incapacity or death as a result of the accident. All these variables provide information which makes it possible to identify the characteristics of the enterprise, the victim, the injury and its consequences, and the date and place of the accident. However, in order to foster a more active European policy for the prevention of accidents at work, Phase III of ESAW covers other harmonised variables and classifications on the causes and circumstances( 7 ) of accidents at work which will help establish the situation and conditions prevailing at the time of the accident. The results of these analyses will provide useful information which will assist in the development of new and carefully targeted prevention policies. ( 1 ) 89/391/EEC, OJ L 183 of ( 2 ) 88/C 28/01, OJ C 28 of ( 3 ) 95/C 168/01, OJ C 168 of ( 4 ) 93/464/EEC, OJ L 219 of ( 5 ) 99/126/EC, OJ L 42 of ( 6 ) Reference year = data collected on accidents in this year. ( 7 ) On the basis of a project of European codification system of the causes and circumstances of accidents at work proposed by a Group of Member States (DWES of Denmark, HVBG of Germany, CNAMTS of France and INAIL of Italy) coordinated by EUROGIP (France), validated beforehand using a sample of over actual accidents in different EU Member States (Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg, Portugal, Finland, Sweden and the UK). 4

5 The first reference year for Phase III of the project is 2001( 6 ). It should be noted that the ESAW project has been given international recognition by the ILO Resolution on Statistics on occupational injuries resulting from accidents at work ( 8 ) which adopted much of the European Commission's ESAW methodology. In particular, Phase III is both the methodological basis and the first actual attempt to use the supplementary information on the circumstances of accidents, the development of which is mentioned in the Resolution. It will harmonise data on this subject from the Member States of the European Union and any other countries which wish to use the system. This tool is, at the same time, close enough to the national systems already operating in full or in part in certain countries for its implementation to be highly successful in the national institutions providing the data (social security system, insurance sector, labour inspectorate). It could, if necessary, even be used by enterprises themselves. This publication presents the results of the work on the methodology for the three phases of ESAW carried out since 1990 by the Commission services and experts in this field from relevant institutions (National Statistical Institutes, Labour and Social Affairs Ministries or Departments, Social Security Institutions) in the field of Occupational Health and Safety in the Member States. The tangible result is a full set of variables along with their classifications, explanatory notes and coding guides. Whilst compiling this system, the designers never deviated from their goal of creating a tool for collecting information which would be useful for preventing accidents at work throughout Europe by ensuring there was maximum compatibility with the existing statistical systems in the Member States. A good deal of attention was therefore paid to these systems and to the proposals made by all the partners in the project. The general aim was to compile a methodology which was detailed enough to be effective but was not too complex, both as a whole and for each individual variable, so that this statistical system would be easy to implement. As well as being straightforward, it was also intended to be open and adaptable over time. These features of the system allow the individual Member States to carry out any refinements required through the addition of new digits at national level, the gradual introduction of the method by the different national institutions and, if necessary, a search for further information on the causes and circumstances of accidents at work, without ever deviating from the general structure of the project. It should be also reminded that the Commission activities on accidents at work statistics have links with the Community Labour Force Survey (LFS). In particular the ESAW reference population to calculate incidence rates of accidents at work is based on LFS data. Additionally, to have a broader view on the situation, it has inserted an ad hoc module on Health and Safety at Work in the 1999 LFS - Commission Regulation (EC) No 1571/98 of the 20/07/1998( 9 ) -. Analyses of the results from this module will bring an important added value to the information already collected by ESAW : accidents with less than 4 days absence, crossed-analysis with information on labour market, characteristics of jobs, working conditions or training. The new Phase III on causes and circumstances is being in force progressively in the Member States from 2001 onwards, following national implementation schedules taking into consideration the adaptations needed in their national declaration and codification systems of accidents at work. Initial results for a first set of Member States are expected in 2003 on 2001 reference year( 6 ) data. DG EMPL D-5 and EUROSTAT E-3 March 2001 ( 8 ) Adopted by the 16th International Conference of Labour Statisticians, Geneva, 6-15 October ( 9 ) Commission Regulation (EC) No 1571/98 of the implementing the Council Regulation N 577/98 on the organisation of a labour force sample survey in the Community - OJ L 205 of

6 European Commission 2001 Doc. ESTAT/E3/HSW/2001/1130 For more information : Didier Dupré Eurostat E3 - Bech Building D2/723 Tel: (352) ; Fax: (352) Didier.Dupre@cec.eu.int Angel Fuente DG Employment and social affairs D5 Jean Monnet Building C3/79 Tel: (352) ; Fax: (352) Angel.Fuente-Martin@cec.eu.int Eurostatwebsite: DG Employment and social affairs web site on Health and Safety at Work : 6

7 Table of contents FOREWORD...3 PREFACE...4 BACKGROUND AND AIMS FOR THE ESAW PROJECT...11 Background for ESAW project Aims of the ESAW project BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS...12 Particulars concerning the definition of an accident at work Road (traffic) accidents and other transport accidents Other accidents outside the company Members of the public Accidents from strictly natural causes Accident at work with more than 3 days absence from work Fatal accident at work VARIABLE CHARACTERISATION...15 General introduction to the system Variables Case Number Economic Activity of the Employer Occupation of the Victim Age of the Victim Sex of the Victim Type of Injury Part of Body Injured Geographical Location of the Accident Date of the Accident Time of the Accident Size of the Enterprise Nationality of the Victim Employment Status of the Victim Days Lost Definition of the Local unit of an enterprise Workstation The Working Environment The Working Process The Specific Physical Activity The Material Agent of the Specific Physical Activity The Deviation The Material Agent of the Deviation The Contact - Mode of injury The Material Agent of the Contact - Mode of injury The Weight INDICATORS AND METHODS OF STANDARDISATION OF DATA...21 Incidence rates Correction factors and standardisation methods Correction Standardisation

8 DATA COLLECTION AND HARMONISATION...23 Reporting procedures in the Member States Insurance and non-insurance based systems Evaluation of national reporting procedures ESAW harmonised data collection Definition of an accident at work Non-fatal accidents Fatal accidents Groups covered by the national reporting systems Coverage of self-employed and family workers Sectors Coverage of accidents outside the premises of the enterprise (including road traffic accidents) National reporting levels REFERENCE POPULATION (BASED ON LFS)...28 Reference year Establishment of filters Estimated reference population for FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS...29 Improvement of data quality Coverage Reporting levels Inclusion/exclusion of specific types of accidents Development of new indicators APPENDIX A: IMPLEMENTATION OF ESAW PHASE III FROM 2001 REFERENCE YEAR ONWARDS...31 Choice of the variables Variables on the causes and the circumstances Priority variables Intermediary option Additional optional variable Workstation Inclusion of the whole set of 9 variables Particulars concerning the variable Deviation and its Material Agents Optional improvements for variables of Phases I and II Economic activity of the employer Employment status APPENDIX B: CLASSIFICATIONS AND FORMATS USED FOR ESAW...35 Classifications Case Number Economic Activity of the Employer Occupation of the Victim Age of the Victim Sex of the Victim Type of Injury Part of Body Injured Geographical Location of the Accident Date of the Accident Time of the Accident Size of the Enterprise Nationality of the Victim Employment Status of the Victim Days Lost Classifications for the causes and circumstances Workstation

9 Working Environment Working Process Specific Physical Activity Deviation Contact - Mode of injury Material Agent Aggregated formats APPENDIX C: CLASSIFICATIONS GUIDELINES...63 Type of Injury General comments about the variables on the causes and circumstances The organisation of the variables Details concerning the use of codes 00 or Specific aspects concerning the Material Agent The Workstation The Working Environment Reminder of the definition Approach Industrial site Construction site, construction, opencast quarry or opencast mine Farming, breeding, fish farming, forest zone Tertiary activity area, office, amusement area, miscellaneous Healthcare establishments Public areas In the home Sports areas Sites with exceptional conditions in the air or at high elevations - excluding construction sites underground - excluding construction sites on/over water - excluding construction sites High-pressure environments - excluding construction sites General comments The Working Process Reminder of the definition Approach Production, manufacturing, processing, storing - all types Excavation, construction, maintenance, demolition Agricultural type work, forestry, horticulture, fish farming and work with live animals Providing services to enterprises and/or to the general public - intellectual work Other work related to tasks coded under 10, 20, 30 and Movement, sport and artistic activity The Specific Physical Activity Reminder of the definition Approach Distinction between tool and machine - fixed machine and mobile machine Operating machinery Work with hand-held tools Driving or being on board handling equipment or a means of transport Handling objects Carrying by hand Movement Presence The Deviation Reminder of the definition Approach Deviation due to electrical problems, explosion, fire Deviation by overflow, overturn, leak, flow, vaporisation, emission Breakage, bursting, splitting, slipping, fall, collapse of Material Agent Loss of control (total or partial) of machine, means of transport or handling equipment, hand-held tool, object, animal Slipping or stumbling - with fall, fall of persons Preliminary note on the use of codes and

10 60-69 Body movement without physical stress (generally leading to an external injury) Body movement under or with physical stress (generally leading to an internal injury) Shock, fright, violence, aggression, threat, presence The Contact Mode of injury Reminder of the definition Approach Contact with electrical current, temperature, hazardous substances Drowned, buried, enveloped Horizontal or vertical impact with or against a stationary object (the victim is in motion) Struck by a moving object, collision Contact with a sharp, pointed, hard or rough Material Agent Trapped, crushed, etc Physical or mental stress Bite, kick, etc. (animal or human) The Material Agent Reminder of the definition Approach Description of the groups at the 1-position level Optional more detailed classification Examples of codification of the causes and circumstances...85 APPENDIX D: OPTIONAL 4-POSITION CLASSIFICATIONS...91 Economic activity of the employer (NACE) Material Agent APPENDIX E: WEIGHTING APPENDIX F: METHODOLOGY FOR COMMUTING ACCIDENTS Introduction Methodology Definitions Variables Evaluation questionnaire APPENDIX G: REFERENCES APPENDIX H: NATIONAL ESAW DATA PROVIDERS

11 BACKGROUND AND AIMS FOR THE ESAW PROJECT Background and aims for the ESAW project Background for ESAW project TheFrameworkDirectiveonHealthandSafetyintheWorkplace( 10 ) requested the Commission to proceed with the harmonisation of data on accidents at work. It specified that the employer shall keep a list of occupational accidents resulting in a worker being unfit for work for more than three working days and draw up, for the responsible authorities and in accordance with national laws and/or practices, reports on occupational accidents suffered by his workers. On this basis, the ESAW project was launched in 1990, aiming at harmonised data on accidents at work for all accidents entailing more than three days absence from work. A Methodology for the Harmonisation of European Occupational Accident Statistics was published in 1992 by Eurostat and DG Employment and social affairs( 11 ). The ESAW project has been an integral part of the framework programme for priority actions in the field of statistical information 1993 to 1997( 12 ). In addition the Council Resolution 95/C 168/01( 13 ) furthermore calls upon the Commission: to complete the work in progress on harmonising statistics on accidents at the workplace.... The Programme concerning Safety, Hygiene and Health at Work ( ) also foresees the continuation of the implementation of this project. Furthermore, the European Community Statistical Programme , which defines the main fields and objectives of the community statistics, foresees the establishment of consistent series of data on a European level in order to provide the means for the monitoring of health and safety at work and the efficiency of regulation in this field( 14 ). Aims of the ESAW project The aim of the ESAW project is to collect Union-wide comparable data on accidents at work and establish a database." Comparable data on work accidents are a prerequisite for monitoring trends in health and safety at work in the Union and for promoting accidents prevention both at Community level and in the individual Member States. The goals are to provide data on high-risk groups and sectors and indicators on both the causes and the socioeconomic costs of accidents at work. Consistent series of data should be established to provide the means for the monitoring of health and safety at work and the efficiency of regulation in this field. It is also an aim of the ESAW project to develop a methodology which is as far as possible comparable with other international statistics and to participate in the co-ordination of such work. The ESAW methodology is in accordance with the ILO Resolution of 1998 concerning Statistics of Occupational Injuries: resulting from Occupational Accidents ( 15 ). ( 10 ) Council Directive 89/391/EEC of 12 June 1989 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work, OJ L183, Hereinafter, Framework Directive (on health and safety at work). ( 11 ) Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Theme 3 Series E, ISBN , Catalogue number CA EN-C. ( 12 ) Council Decision 93/464/EEC of 22 July 1993 on the framework programme for priority actions in the field of statistical information 1993 to 1997, OJ L219, ( 13 ) OJ C168 of , pp 1-2. ( 14 ) Council Decision 99/126/EC on the Community Statistical Programme , OJ L42, ( 15 ) Adopted by the Sixteenth International Conference of Labour Statisticians, Geneva, 6-15 October

12 BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS Basic concepts and definitions ESAW Phase I, II and III data have been collected respectively from the reference years 1993, 1996 and 2001 onwards. The reference period is defined as the year of notification of the accident. All cases of accidents at work leading to an absence of more than three calendar days( 16 ) are included in the ESAW data. In practice it means that an accident at work is included in ESAW if the person is unfit for work for more than 3 days even if these days include Saturdays, Sundays or other days where the person is not usually working. An accident at work is defined as "a discrete occurrence in the course of work which leads to physical or mental harm". This includes cases of acute poisoning and wilful acts of other persons, as well as accidents occurring during work but off the company s premises, even those caused by third parties. It excludes deliberate self-inflicted injuries, accidents on the way to and from work (commuting accidents, see Appendix F) and accidents having only a medical origin and occupational diseases( 17 ). The phrase "in the course of work" means whilst engaged in an occupational activity or during the time spent at work. This includes cases of road traffic accidents in the course of work. A fatal accident is defined as an accident which leads to the death of a victim within one year of the accident. Particulars concerning the definition of an accident at work Inclusions The following types of accidents are covered by the above definition of an accident at work (summary in Table 1). Road (traffic) accidents and other transport accidents The road traffic accidents in the course of work are included in the ESAW methodology. Road accidents concern not only persons whose occupational activity is exerted mainly on public highways, e.g., lorry or coach drivers, but also those occupational activities which frequently or occasionally imply journeys on public roads. These occupational activities include, e.g., repairing, commercial activities or other service activities carried out at the premises of the customers. This includes also a car accident, say, of a manager who occasionally goes, in the course of work, from his office to an external meeting. Such an accident would still be considered as a work accident to be included in the ESAW methodology, even if the place belongs to his company or a client, another company or institution. Road traffic accidents as described above also include incidences in car parks and the internal carrier-ways at the premises of the enterprise. The expression "whilst engaged in an occupational activity or during the time spent at work" should therefore be understood in broader terms. Thus, other types of accidents on public highway or places should also be included. This concerns, for example, slips on the pavement or falls on staircases, or even aggressions from other persons, provided that the victim is still in the course of work. This will also apply to accidents on board any means of transport, e.g., underground train, tramway, train, boat, plane, etc. This includes also accidents in the arrival and starting points of any means of transport, e.g., stations, airports, ports, etc., provided that the victim is still in the course of work. It should be noted that commuting accidents, i.e., road accidents during the journey between home and the workplace, are not included in the ESAW methodology( 18 ). ( 16 ) The Framework Directive (Article 9) speaks about working days. However, it has been decided for ESAW methodology to follow the most common practice in the Member States, which is to use calendar days in calculating the number of days with an absence from work. ( 17 ) The Commission has developped the European Occupational Diseases Statistics (EODS Phase I) implemented from 2001 reference year onwards (see part Future Developments ) ( 18 ) Nevertheless, an additional data collection on Commuting Accidents has also been set up using the same methodology as the ESAW project. The specification for this data collection, which only involve 8 Member States for the time being, is shown in Annex F. 12

13 BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS Other accidents outside the company Accidents that have occurred within the premises of a company other than the one that employs the victim should also be regarded as an accident at work. Such activities include all kind of meetings and services which takes place outside the premises of the company provided that the victim is still in the course of work. This includes also the following examples: Accidents that occur in the course of meetings or visits out of the company; accidents during the delivery of goods on customers premises (company or private individual) or while carrying out other services such as repairing, maintenance, errands, etc. on clients premises; more permanent secondments in another company, or during activities at home which are in the course of work; accidents caused by other work activities not related to the course of the victims work activities, etc.. In summary, all the accidents corresponding to all risks the employed person is exposed to in the course of his/her work are included in the ESAW methodology. This applies not only to the specific risks he is exposed to in the premises of the employer, but also the risks outside the premises which he can be exposed to in the course of work, for example on public highways, means of transport or risks caused by third parties. This is irrespective of whether or not his employer can prevent or reduce partially, the level of these risks outside his own premises. Table 1- Types of accidents included / excluded in the ESAW methodology Type of accidents Definition: A discrete occurrence in the course of work which leads to a physical or mental harm". The phrase "in the course of work" means whilst engaged in an occupational activity or during the time spent at work. Acute poisoning willful acts of other persons Accidents in public places or means of transport during a journey in the course of work: Road traffic accidents in the course of work (public highways, car parks, internal ways inside the premises of the enterprise) Other accidents (slips, falls, aggressions, etc.) in a public place (pavement, staircases, etc.) or in the arrival and starting points (station, port, airport, etc.) of any mean of transport, during a journey in the course of work Accidents on board of any mean of transport used in the course of work (underground railway, tram, train, boat, plane, etc.) Accidents occurred within the premises of another company than that which employs the victim, or in a private individual, in the course of work Deliberate self-inflicted injuries Accidents on the way to and from work (commuting accidents see Appendix F) Accidents having only a medical origin in the course of work and occupational diseases Members of public, outside any occupational activity Included YES / NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO NO NO NO Exclusions The following types of accidents are not covered by the above definition of an accident at work (summary in Table 1). Members of the public Accidents to members of the public are not included in the ESAW methodology. Even if such an accident is due to a work activity within a company it should not be regarded as an accident at work under the ESAW methodology. This includes accidents contracted by employed persons who are not at work and who carry out activities which are not in the course of their work, for example, visit to a shop, an administration, a bank, insurance, station, telecom, hospital, post office, port, airport, etc. Family members of an employee or employer present within the company who are victims of an accident are considered as members of the public and are excluded from the ESAW methodology. This applies also to children in, for example, the nursery in the company. 13

14 BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS Accidents from strictly natural causes Accidental injuries from strictly natural causes are also excluded from the ESAW methodology. This applies to, for example, cardiac or cerebral incidents, or any other sudden medical disorders, which have occurred during work, but having apriorino link with the occupational activity of the victim and the injury being only related to the medical disorder. Nevertheless, such cases should only be excluded if there is no other work-related causal element identified. For example, if a bricklayer felt faint (medical cause) and fell down from scaffolding (work-related causal element), the accidental injury should be included in the ESAW methodology. This is the case, even if the fall would not have occurred without the discomfort of the worker, because the gravity of its consequences was sharply increased by the presence of the person on scaffolding, which is a purely work related causal element. Accident at work with more than 3 days absence from work The Framework Directive retained the concept of absence from work of more than 3 working days". However, as a large number of Member States can not make a distinction between working days or not, because the work stops are prescribed in calendar days, the concept of "3 calendar days", i.e. more simply "3 days", was retained for ESAW. The concept of "more" than 3 days of absence from work has been implemented in the following way in the ESAW methodology (summary in Table 2): Only full working days of absence from work of the victim have to be considered excluding the day of the accident. Consequently, "more than 3 days" means "at least 4 days", which implies that only accidents with a resumption of work not before the fifth day after the day of the accident or later should be included. Following on from this, the " number of days lost " has to be counted beginning with 4 days lost if the resumption of work takes place the fifth day following the day of the accident, 5 days lost if the resumption of work takes place the sixth day, etc.. Table 2 - Concepts of accidents with more than 3 days absence from work" and of numbers of counted days lost in the ESAW methodology Resumption of work the: Accident included in ESAW same day of the accident First to fourth days after the accident fifth day after the accident Sixth day after the accident / or beyond NO NO YES YES Number of days lost not included not included 4 5 / or more Fatal accident at work The definition adopted by the ESAW project is that of accidents at work leading to the death of the victim within a year (after the day) of the accident". In practice the majority of the Member States send the cases of fatal accidents at work counted in their national statistics. In fact, the majority of the accidental deaths occur either immediately at the time of the accident, or within a few days or a few weeks after the accident. 14

15 VARIABLE CHARACTERISATION Variable characterisation General introduction to the system Three types of basic information are required to codify an accident properly: Information to identify where the accident occurred, who was injured and when: i.e.: the economic activity of the employer; the victim's occupation, occupational status, sex, age and nationality; the geographic location and size of the enterprise's local unit; the date and time; the working environment, the workstation and the working process. Information to show how the accident occurred, in what circumstances and how the injuries came about: i.e.: the event broken down into three sequences: the specific physical activity, the deviation, and the contact - mode of injury, and their respective associated material agents. Information on the nature and seriousness of the injuries and the consequences of the accident: i.e.: the body part injured, the type of injury and the number of days lost. ENTERPRISE - economic activity - size of enterprise - geographic location, date and time EXPOSURE ORGANISATION WORKING CONDITIONS - working Environment EMPLOYEE WORKPLACE - occupation - working Process - age and sex - workstation - nationality - occupational status SEQUENCE OF EVENTS - specific physical activity and associated material agent - deviation and associated material agent - contact - mode of injury and associated material agent VICTIM - type of injury - body part injured - days lost The methodology presented in the current publication aims to provide a detailed description of the characteristics of the victim, his/her enterprise and injury as well as a breakdown of the sequence of events leading to accident for the purpose of establishing a European-level prevention policy. The variables included in the ESAW methodology are given in Table 3. The definition of each of the variables is provided below. The corresponding classifications and formats are specified in Appendix B. For the causation variables, guidelines for their use and examples in order to help coders are provided Appendix C (guidelines are also provided for the type of injury). 15

16 VARIABLE CHARACTERISATION Variables Table 3 - Record structure for the ESAW data Variable Compulsory minimum Number of characters Phase III Data Optional ( 1 ) additional Total ( 1 ) Phase I and II Data Case number Economic activity of the employer Occupation of the victim Age of victim Sex of victim Type of injury Part of body injured Geographical location Date of the accident Time of the accident Size of enterprise Nationality Employment status Days lost Workstation Working environment ( 2 ) 3 or 0 ( 2 ) 0 or 3 ( 2 ) 3 Working process ( 2 ) 2 or 0 ( 2 ) 0 or 2 ( 2 ) 2 Specific physical activity ( 2 ) 2 or 0 ( 2 ) 0 or 2 ( 2 ) 2 Material agent of Specific physical activity 2 positions ( = 4 characters) Deviation 2 2 Material agent of Deviation 2 positions ( = 4 characters) ( 3 ) 4or0( 3 ) 0 or 4 ( 3 ) 4 Contact mode of injury 2 2 Material agent of Contact - Mode of injury 2 positions ( = 4 characters) ( 3 ) 4or0( 3 ) 0 or 4 ( 3 ) 4 Weight ( 4 ) 9 (3.6) ( 4 ) 9 Total number of characters ( 5 ) 63or64( 2 )( 5 ) 18or17( 2 ) 81 ( 5 ) 44 ( 1 ) When the optional position(s) is(are) not used for a variable, the value 0, 00, 000 or 00.00, depending on the variable, should be indicated as corresponding code or part of the code. ( 2 ) It is compulsory to code at least 1 of the 3 variables «Working Environment», «Working Process» or «Specific Physical Activity» (depending on the choice, as «Working Environment» has 3 characters and the 2 others have 2 characters, the total number of characters actually used therefore varies by 1). The 2 remaining variables not used for the compulsory part are consequently optional. ( 3 ) It is compulsory to code at least 1 of the 2 variables «Material agent of the Deviation» or «Material agent of the Contact - Mode of injury». The remaining variable not used for the compulsory part is consequently optional. ( 4 ) The weight has 9 characters, including 3 for the whole number and 6 for decimal places. ( 5 ) When only the minimum of 4 priority variables is used, of which one with 1 position (the others should obligatorily have 2 positions), the minimum total number of characters used is «63 or 64». Nevertheless, the data file should always have a length of 81 digits including all variables. 16

17 VARIABLE CHARACTERISATION Case Number A unique case number must always be to identify each individual record submitted to Eurostat and to ensure that each record represents a separate accident at work, avoiding double counting. The case number is also necessary in order to answer any queries which involve the retrieval and correction of a single record in the course of data analysis. It is only used internally and is not available in any data disseminated by Eurostat. Each Member State determines the format for the case number. However, this number should not allow the identification of any person. Additionally, the chosen case number must be prefixed by the 4 digits of the year where the accident is notified to the authorities. It should be noted that the year of notification, which is also the reference period for the ESAW data, is not necessarily the same as the year when the accident occurred. For that reason, the first four digits of the case number represent the reference year for the collected data. Economic Activity of the Employer The term economic activity of the employer covers the main economic activity of the local unit of the enterprise of the victim. The main activity is defined here as the most important kind of activity in terms of highest number of employees. The local unit of an enterprise means the geographical location of a business, professional practice, farm, manufacturer, public corporation, etc., (see below). It is classified according to a detailed version (4-digit level) of the NACE Rev.1. However the fourth position with the value '0' or the third and fourth positions with the value '00 ' are accepted when only the code at the 3- or 2-digit level is known. Occupation of the Victim The victim's occupation at the time of the accident is classified according to a short version (2 digit level) of the ISCO-88 (COM). Age of the Victim Age should be represented by the age of the victim at the time of the accident. Values below 10 must be entered with a leading zero, i.e., 7 years must be entered as 07. Sex of the Victim Sex is a simple categorical variable. Type of Injury The variable type of injury describes the physical consequences for the victim e.g. bone fracture, wounds etc. The 3-digit version of the ESAW classification for 'Type of injury' should be used for encoding of information on this variable. The current classification is a new one used from the ESAW 1997 data onwards, in accordance with the ILO recommendation mentioned above. Part of Body Injured This variable describes the part of the body injured. The current 2-digit version of the classification of part of body injured, introduced from the reference year 1995 onwards, should be used. It is on the whole in accordance with the ILO recommendation mentioned above. The classification allows only one choice, i.e. only one code can be chosen to describe the injured part(s) of the body. In cases where several parts of the body have been injured, the site which has been most seriously injured should be chosen e.g. an amputation precedes bone fracture, which precedes wounds etc. In other cases a code for multiple sites should be used at the appropriate level of the classification, e.g., broken hand and foot. In cases where larger parts of the body have been affected, e.g., injuries caused by burns or skalds, a code for multiple sites should be used as well. Geographical Location of the Accident The variable geographical location is considered to be the territorial unit where the accident has occurred. The specified level for the NUTS classification in Appendix B should be used (NUTS 95 version, including the 1998 revision). This classification describes the country in question and the defined regions in this country. Date of the Accident This variable describes the date when the accident occurred. This is a numeric variable which is defined as year, month and day (YYYYMMDD). 17

18 VARIABLE CHARACTERISATION Time of the Accident This variable describes the time of the day when the accident occurred. This is a numeric variable describing whole hours (HH), e.g. 2 p.m. gives 14 which covers the time from 2 p.m. to 2:59 p.m.. Size of the Enterprise The size of the enterprise is defined here as the number of employees (full-time equivalent, see definition together with the classification in Appendix B) working at the local unit of the enterprise of the victim. For a specification of the local unit please see below. Nationality of the Victim This variable is defined as the country of citizenship. If a person has more than one citizenship, the citizenship of the country where the person has notified the accident should be used. An aggregated format is used for this variable. Employment Status of the Victim This variable concerns the employment status (professional status) of the victim, for example employee, selfemployed, family worker, etc. For the employees (1 st digit = 3), when the information is known, it will be specified, in the 2 nd digit if the job is a permanent one (contract of unlimited duration) or not (temporary of limited duration) and in the 3 rd digit if it is full or part-time. Missing values can be accepted ('000'), as well as partly missing value for the 2 nd and/or 3 rd digits (300, 301, 302, 310, and 320). The concept of permanency of the job to be taken into account is that of the Labour Force Survey (Column 45 «Permanency of the job») : «In the majority of Member States most jobs are based on written work contracts. However, in some countries such contracts exist only for specific cases (for example in the public sector, for apprentices, or for other persons undergoing some formal training within an enterprise). Taking account of these different institutional arrangements the notions «temporary job» and «work contract in limited duration» (likewise «permanent job» and «work contract in unlimited duration») describe situations which under different institutional frameworks, can be regarded as similar. A job may be regarded as temporary if it is understood by both employer and the employee that the termination of the job is determined by objective conditions such as reaching a certain date, completion of an assignment or return of another employee who has been temporarily replaced. In the case of a work contract of limited duration the condition for its termination is generally mentioned in the contract. Are also included in these groups persons with a seasonal job, persons engaged by an employment agency or business and hired out to a third party for the carrying out of a «work mission» (interim) and persons with specific training contracts. If there exists no objective criterion for the termination of a job or work contract these should be regarded as permanent or of staff unlimited duration.» For the concept of full-time/part-time, by coherence with the indications of the Labour Force Survey (LFS Column 44 «full-time/part-time distinction») and the European Community Household Panel (ECHP), it could be considered the only indicative threshold of 30 hours per week (e.g., 6 hours daily on 5 days or 7.5 hours daily on 4 days) as the limit between part-time and full-time. However, this threshold still remains flexible as some specific occupations as teachers can have full-time jobs with a very lower number of lecture hours and on the opposite some craft or trade occupations can have working times very higher than the average. When the information is taken from the declaration of the accident, it is in fact the signification of «full-time» and «part-time» proper to the enterprise that will be collected. Days Lost The variable days lost means the number of calendar days where the victim is unfit for work due to an accident at work. This number is provided using a 3-digit level format. When this information is only available using classes of days lost, 6 classes with codes A01 to A06 should be used. Nonetheless, the number of days lost will be considered to be in accordance with the ESAW methodology, which means that only cases of accidents at work where the person is unfit for work more than three full calendar days should be included. Specific codes should be used to define permanent incapacity (997) and fatal accident (998). In that case the days lost before the recognition of the permanent incapacity or death are not considered. 18

19 VARIABLE CHARACTERISATION Definition of the Local unit of an enterprise This definition has relevance for the variables Economic Activity of the Employer and Size of the Enterprise. If the following concept of local unit of the enterprise is not directly applicable in a country, the national definition should be used as a proxy. The "local unit" to be considered is a geographically identified location where the job is mainly carried out or can said to be based. If a person works in more than one place (transport, construction, maintenance, surveillance, peripatetic work) or at home, the local unit is taken to be the place from where instructions emanate or from where the work is organised. Normally, it consists of a single building, part of a building, or, at the most, a self-contained group of buildings. The local unit of the enterprise is therefore the group of employees of the establishment who are geographically located at the same site. A geographically identified place must be interpreted on a strict basis: two units belonging to the same enterprise at different locations (even if these local units are very close to each other) must be regarded as two local units. However, a single local unit may be spread over several adjacent administrative areas. Moreover, the boundaries of the unit are determined by the boundaries of the site, which means for example that a public highway running through does not interrupt the continuity of the boundaries. Workstation This variable identifies the usual or in contrast occasional nature of the place/post occupied by the victim at the time of the accident. It does not take into account the permanency or not of the job (see variable Employment status above). The concept of «usual workstation» should be understood in a restrictive sense, always inside the premises of the usual local unit of work : fixed workstation in a workshop, shop, office and more generally premises of the local unit of the employer. The concept of «occasional workstation» is used in a broader sense and covers both: Jobs for which the workstation is «mobile» (truck driver, worker in the construction, fitter, repairer, policeman, watchman, street sweeper, etc.) ; Occasional situations for people usually working at a fixed workstation : Occasional journey on behalf of the employer ; Specific intervention on behalf of the employer outside the usual local unit and inside the premises of a client or another company (meeting, mission, business interview, installation or repair, etc.) ; Temporary assignment in a fixed but different workstation or in a local unit different from the usual one, including workstations occupied during several days or weeks but which are not a definitive assignment workplace (temporary assignment as employee of an enterprise working inside the premises of another company or as person engaged by an employment agency or business, important maintenance activities at a client premises, teleworking, etc.). The Working Environment This is described by a noun. It is the type of workplace, working area or location where the victim was present or working just before the accident. This is the workplace, work premises or general environment where the accident happened. The Working Process This is described by a noun (but it is an action that could also be described by a verb). It is the main type of work, task (general activity) being performed by the victim at the time of the accident. This describes the main type of work being performed by the victim at the time of the accident. It is not the victim's occupation, nor his or her precise Specific Physical Activity at the moment of the accident. It is the description of the type of work and the task, in broad terms, undertaken by the victim during a period of time ending at the instant of the accident. 19

20 VARIABLE CHARACTERISATION The Specific Physical Activity This is described by a verb, however the one-part codes are formulated as generic nouns describing these actions. The activity being performed by the victim just before the accident. This is the victim's exact Specific Physical Activity at the instant of the accident, i.e. precisely what the victim was doing at the exact time of the accident. It covers only a short period of time. The Material Agent of the Specific Physical Activity This is described by a noun. The principal Material Agent associated or linked with the victim's Specific Physical Activity just before the accident. The Material Agent associated with the Specific Physical Activity describes the tool, object, or instrument being used by the victim when the accident happened. The Material Agent may or may not be implicated in the accident. However, if there are several Material Agents associated with the Specific Physical Activity, the Material Agent most closely linked to the accident or injury must be recorded. The Deviation This is described by a noun (but it is an action that could also be described by a verb). The last event deviating from normality and leading to the accident. This is the description of the abnormal event, i.e. the Deviation from the normal working process. The Deviation is the event that triggers the accident. If there is a chain of events, the last Deviation must be recorded (the Deviation closest in time to the injuring contact). The Material Agent of the Deviation This is described by a noun. The principal Material Agent associated or linked with the deviant event. The Material Agent associated with the Deviation describes the tool, object, or instrument involved in the abnormal event. If several Material Agents are associated with the (last) Deviation, the last Material Agent involved should be recorded, i.e. that closest in time to the injuring contact. The Contact - Mode of injury This is described by a noun (but it is an action that could also be described by a verb). It may also be called: the Mode of Injury. The contact that injured the victim. This describes how the victim was hurt (physical or mental trauma) by the Material Agent that caused the injury. If there are several Contacts -Modes of Injury, the one causing the most serious injury must be recorded. The Material Agent of the Contact - Mode of injury This is described by a noun. The principal Material Agent associated or linked with the injuring contact. The Material Agent associated with the Contact - Mode of Injury refers to the object, tool, or instrument with which the victim came into contact or the psychological mode of injury. If several Material Agents are associated with the injury, the Material Agent linked with the most serious injury must be recorded. The Weight A weighting procedure will be implemented in Phase III to solve the situation of Member States encoding the ESAW Phase III variables only for a national sample of accidents at work. The same variable could also be used to indicate reporting level. The weighting procedure will be defined in the course of the year 2001 with the Member States (see Appendix E). 20